Massachusetts Homeless Youth Handbook
A know-your-rights resource and guide for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness and housing instability in Massachusetts.
The Legal Education, Advocacy, and Protections (LEAP) Project for Youth Experiencing Homelessness
Unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness face legal barriers that prevent them from meeting their basic needs and trap them in cycles of harm. Young people who identify as members of the LGBTQ+ community or are transitioning out of the foster care system are particularly vulnerable, and their experiences with marginalization can increase their legal needs.
MA Appleseed works to build a more robust legal safety net for youth experiencing homelessness to assist them on their journey towards stability. We provide know-your-rights resources and trainings to young people and the adults who work with them, mobilize the broader legal community, and develop and advocate for powerful policy reforms.
Through this project, we aim to help Massachusetts’ most vulnerable young people leap into a brighter, more secure future, ready to achieve their ambitions with confidence and excitement.
Does your organization work with young people experiencing homelessness or housing instability?
Reports & Resources
Unaccompanied, Unidentified and Uncounted: Developing Strategies to Meet the Needs of America’s Homeless Youth
A policy brief discussing how ineffective data collection inhibits policymaking, how current policies and laws can discourage unaccompanied youth from receiving services, why the way we talk about young people experiencing homelessness matters, and more.
Campaigns & Partnerships
Massachusetts Homeless Youth Legal Network
A statewide project initiated by the American Bar Association, the Massachusetts Homeless Youth Legal Network (MHYLN) works to improve outcomes for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness by mobilizing the Massachusetts legal community to advocate for policy changes and provide pro bono legal resources, empowering vulnerable young people to access housing, safety, and opportunity.
Led by MA Appleseed since 2023, the MHYLN’s 60+ members coordinate an effective response to youth homelessness by identifying legal barriers, expanding access to know-your-rights resources, facilitating cross-sector collaborations, and driving policy change.
If you are interested in joining the MHYLN, please contact our Research and Policy Associate Miriam Berro Krugman at miriam@massappleseed.org.
Pro Bono Spotlight
Created with pro bono partners Baker McKenzie, Boston Scientific, and Liberty Mutual, the Massachusetts Homeless Youth Handbook is an online know-your-rights guide designed to help young people experiencing homelessness overcome legal barriers and build safe, stable futures.
Policy
H.4394
An Act Allowing Certain Minors to Consent to Supportive Services
H.3360/H.3388/S.2251
An Act to Provide Identification to Youth and Adults Experiencing Homelessness
H.157/S.65
An Act Protecting Benefits Owed to Foster Children